Digital waste tracking for carriers, brokers and dealers: dates and what to do now
Last checked 26 October 2026
Receiving sites already have to record waste digitally. For waste carriers, brokers and dealers, Defra's published timeline is a public beta in spring 2027 and mandatory use expected from October 2027.
The dates
Treat October 2027 as the plan, not a promise. It is described as "expected", it depends on the service being ready, and earlier dates in this programme have moved.
- Receiving sites (tips, transfer stations and other permitted sites): mandatory from 1 October 2026 in England and Wales, and from 1 January 2027 in Scotland. Northern Ireland has not yet made its regulations, so its date is still to be confirmed.
- Carriers, brokers and dealers: a private beta for an invited group from autumn 2026, a public beta for everyone from spring 2027, and mandatory use expected from October 2027.
What has not been published yet
The detailed duties for carriers, brokers and dealers, meaning exactly what you must record and by when, have not been published, and neither has the way software connects for that group. Anyone telling you the exact rules for carriers today is guessing. This page will change when Defra publishes them.
Who is a carrier, broker or dealer
If you hold a waste carrier, broker or dealer registration, you are in this group. That includes skip hire, scrap and house clearance firms, and builders, landscapers and gardeners who carry waste away. If you are not sure whether you hold one, look yourself up on the Environment Agency public register.
What to get ready now
- Check your registration is current and note its renewal date. A lapsed registration is a problem whatever happens with tracking.
- Keep a list of the sites you take waste to, with their permit or exemption numbers.
- Learn the six-digit waste code (EWC code) for what you usually carry. Hazardous codes have an asterisk.
- Watch the Defra service page for the public beta, and sign up when it opens.
- Stop relying on paper for anything you will need later. Records you can search and print will be easier to move across.
Where Loadmark fits
Loadmark keeps carrier delivery records locally. Receiving-site operators can separately manage receipt reporting. Its carrier government connection is not enabled. The receipt API serves receiving sites; future carrier integration depends on the published interface and requirements.
Sources
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so check Defra's and your regulator's current guidance before you rely on it. Loadmark is not run by Defra or the Environment Agency.
Get ready with Loadmark
Log loads from your phone, checked before they go. 30 days free, no card needed.